


Five Minutes More

by Qzeebrella



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-18
Updated: 2012-05-18
Packaged: 2017-11-05 13:44:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/407102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qzeebrella/pseuds/Qzeebrella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Malcolm wants is five minutes more. Drabble series. Spoilers up to Season 4. </p><p>The character death is mentioned in the drabble titled "Never Enough Time" and can be avoided.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Shuttlepod One

'Dear God, give me five minutes more. That's all I'm asking for, five minutes more.' Was Malcolm's plea as Trip's arms wrapped around him in the frozen shuttle pod. But it was apparently too much to ask for considering everything he had done in his life. And he had only a few moments of utter bliss within Trip's arms before everything went dark.

He never expected to have to face the knowledge that the most Trip could ever be was a friend. Never expected that he would mourn the loss of those five minutes more, but that is what happened.


	2. Rogue Planet

Five minutes more, that's all he wanted, just five minutes more. It wasn't as if it was too much to ask. They were on a planet in the middle of nowhere with just enough light for him to see Trip asleep beside him. It was almost a dream come true and the only thing missing was Trip's arms around him. His captain's shout had woken Trip up and robbed Malcolm of the opportunity to watch Trip sleep. In between searching for the mystery woman and going on the futile hunt he had not had another opportunity to watch Trip sleep.


	3. Daily Life

Every time they had dinner together or went to the movies together or gone to the gym together Malcolm asked God for 'just five minutes more.' But he had to settle for quick meals, for looking sideways at Trip's face at movies while longing for Trip's arm around him, and for Trip telling him about the latest lady to catch his eye anytime they exercised. It did not seem to matter how long the meal was, how long the movie lasted or even how much time they spent in each other's company Malcolm was forever wanting just five minutes more.


	4. Dead Stop

Dining on the automated station with Trip was just so wonderful. The way the man had asked him specifically to join him, had enabled him to pretend that he was on a date with the man he loved. That was why he followed Trip into the crawl space in spite of the fact it was a bad idea. And when they were suddenly faced with the consequences of their actions all Malcolm could think of was how he wished he could have had five minutes more to enjoy his 'date' with Trip. But instead he was confined to quarters, alone.


	5. The Communicator

While in jail with his captain, waiting to be executed, all Malcolm could think of was what he would do if he had just five minutes more. Five minutes more to tell Trip just how much the man meant to him and to drink in the sight of the man he loved beyond all reason. Time in which he could tell Trip good bye and wish him all the best in the journey to come. Yet, when rescued from certain death, he had chickened out, too scared to tell Trip just how much he wanted five minutes more with him.


	6. The Xindi Attack

He was nearly about to risk everything and ask Trip out on a date when Enterprise was suddenly called back home to Earth. He had gone with Trip to Florida, to be there for him as he faced the truth about Elizabeth and had hoped to be there for him once they got back to the ship. But Trip had pushed him away, had torn into him viciously, and acted as if they had never been friends. And all Malcolm could do was plead with God, "Just five minutes more of his friendship, that's all I want, five minutes more."


	7. Similitude

Then Trip had fallen off of the warp core and landed on his head. For awhile it looked like they would lose him and then Phlox had created Sim with the soul purpose of saving Trip. He visited Trip in sickbay once, looking down at that handsome face and thought of the price that was being paid for Trip's life knowing that if he had to he would have given up his own life, that he would kill Sim himself for just five minutes more with Trip. He found that he didn't care if that made him a bad person.


	8. The Expanse

He watched Trip and T'Pol slowly get closer and knew when they became a couple. He thought that meant he would have no more 'five minutes more' but he had been wrong. He and Trip slowly became friends again and started hanging out together when Trip was not with T'Pol. He saw Trip's anguish and grief wash away and tentative happiness replace it and tried to be happy that T'Pol was making Trip happy. Yet he could not help but wish with every meal they shared that Trip would spend five minutes more with him and five less with T'Pol.


	9. Columbia

When Trip had transferred off of ship due to his relationship with T'Pol going belly up and Malcolm had to try to learn to live with the possibility of never seeing Trip again. Day after day he had to go to work and face the fact that Trip was gone. There was even a small part of him that wished T'Pol and Trip had stayed together if only so that Malcolm would be able to see Trip every day. The armoury officer missed his friend desperately and all Malcolm wanted was to see Trip again, for just five minutes more.


	10. Reunion

Trip had come back to the ship for a time and Malcolm had been so glad to be the one to help him on board in spite of the fact he had only a moment or two with him before returning to the brig. Once out of the brig, he watched as Trip and T'Pol attempted to put their differences behind them and had worried that the two of them would become a couple again. He began to think that he would never get his 'five minutes more' with Trip. Yet Trip's time away from Enterprise had changed him somehow.


	11. Starting Over Anew

Malcolm had watched as Trip had found a way to sever his ties to the Vulcan and yet still work with her. Trip and he had begun eat lunch, to exercise, and even to go to the movies with each other again. This time though, it seemed as if Trip was the one to want just five minutes more with him. To stay just a bit longer after dinner than he should, to insist on just one more repetition with the weights, and to insist on joining Malcolm in his quarters after the movie. Malcolm could not have been happier.


	12. Nearly Paradise

One night, after the movie Trip and Malcolm had gone to his quarters for a drink. Sitting on his couch with the man he loved sipping scotch was as close to paradise as the armoury officer believed he would get. That is until Trip kissed him.

Softly and slowly they explored each others mouth. Malcolm held Trip close as the other man gently caressed him. And as the kiss ended, Trip whispered, "can I stay just five minutes more?"

"You can stay as long as you like." Malcolm said and had rejoiced when Trip stayed the night, holding him close.


	13. Every Night

That night was their first night together, but not their last. One night led to another and another and another, until it was generally accepted by both that they would be together every night. It did not matter to Malcolm whether they made love time and time again or just held each other close for it was as close to perfection as he dared to hope for. Yet, every morning he found himself wanting just five minutes more. Five minutes in which to try to gather the courage to tell Trip he loved him and wanted him to stay forever.


	14. A Simple Proposal

One day they were working together, yelling at each other over the power distribution in between engineering and the armoury when Trip had grabbed him and kissed him. "I love you, marry me?"

"Yes, oh God, yes!" He laughed and kissed Trip back. "But I still think my idea for strengthening the hull plating will work."

Trip just shook his head and grinned at him, taking up the argument where they left off and when they settled the argument Trip went back to engineering in spite of Malcolm's pleas to stay in the armoury "for just five minutes more love."


	15. Wedded Bliss

They got married within a few months of that day in the armoury in a small chapel that Trip's sister Elizabeth had designed. Trip's family, their friends from Enterprise and Malcolm's own sister Madeline the only ones in attendance since Malcolm's parents had refused to come. The wedding had been perfect and the honeymoon nearly so. The only thing that would have made the honeymoon better was if they had managed to squeeze in just five minutes more. Then again, Malcolm knew that it would likely take a lifetime rather than just five minutes to show Trip just how much he was cherished.


	16. Precious Moments

Malcolm was amazed that their love for each other continued to grow with every year that passed. The kisses got sweeter and each minute they were able to spend together was precious. They knew they had found a home in each other and were profoundly thankful that it was so. After work they would greet each other as if starved for the other's touch in spite of seeing each other just that morning. No matter how much time they spent together, they always wished they could have just 'five minutes more" to hold each other and to love each other.


	17. Never Enough Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> warning: major character death in this chapter

They had been together now for a little over sixty years and it still wasn't quite enough for Malcolm. Sure, it was hard for him to breath, harder even to feel Trip's hand on his shoulder but he just couldn't let go.

"Mal, it's time, let yourself go."

"Five minutes more," he whispered, "I want just five minutes more with you."

"Please Mal, you need to let yourself go. You can wait for me on the other side, I'll be along soon. I love you Mal, please let yourself go."

And though he fought it, he fell asleep in death.


	18. An Eternity Together

Within moments it seemed Trip joined him and he welcomed his love with a kiss. Malcolm finally got all the five minutes mores that he had asked for in his life. Five minutes more of being held in Trip's arms. Five minutes more in Trip's presence. Five minutes more of all the love in the universe. Five minutes that lasted an eternity. Malcolm found that an eternity in Trip's strong arms, was just about perfect. The only thing keeping it from being perfect the fact that he wanted five minutes more than an eternity with Trip. Just five minutes more.


End file.
